A Customhouse Broker or Broker is a person who is licenced under the Customs Regulations to transact business with the Customs on behalf of others. Accordingly, a Customhouse Broker or Broker must be licenced by the Commissioner-General of GRA, in order to conduct brokerage activities with the Customs, Excise and Trade Operations (CE&TO).
A Broker Licence
The Broker’s Licence is renewable annually, and may be issued to an individual, Partnership, Company, Corporation and an Incorporated Body at a cost of Three Thousand Guyana Dollars (G$3000.00) and is valid from the date of issue until December 31, in the same year.
Notwithstanding the above, there are three (3) classes of persons who do not need to obtain a Broker licence in order to transact business with the Customs Department:
- An importer or exporter who conducts business with the CE&TO solely on his own behalf or his authorised regular employees or officers who act only for him in the transaction of his business
- An employee of a broker who is authorised to act solely for his employer in cases where –
- the broker has authorised the employee, a resident of Guyana, to sign Customs documents on his behalf and has filed a power of attorney for that purpose with the Commissioner-General; or
- the broker has filed with the Commissioner-General a statement identifying the employee as authorised to transact business on his behalf;
- An authorised agent of the master or owner of an aircraft or ship transacting business in connection with entry and clearance of such aircraft or ship.